Pelosi Pledged to Give Public ‘Ample Amount of Time’ to Read Final Health Bill

(CNSNews.com) - While Nancy Pelosi is now dodging a request from C-SPAN CEO Brian Lamb to open up House-Senate negotiations over the final version of the health-care bill so C-SPAN’s cameras can show them to the public, back in July she pledged she would give the public an “ample amount of time” to read the final bill before brining it to a vote.

At a July 9 press briefing, CNSNews.com’s Nicholas Ballasy asked Pelosi: “Minority Leader Boehner has taken a pledge that he will not vote for a health care bill that he hasn't read, that he hasn't had a chance to read in its entirety or until it's available to the public online for 72 hours. Will you take that pledge--a similar pledge and encourage other members to take it?”

In response, Pelosi did not pledge to post the bill online for 72 hours, but did pledge to give the public “ample time” to get to know the legislation.

“Is this a pledge--is this a pledge that is in keeping with his having read all of the bills that he's ever voted for?” said Pelosi. “I don't know what his pledge is. But we pledge to have a full process, with ample time for legislation to be well-known to the public. Every person in America is an expert on his or her health care. And they are all very curious about what will be there.

The speaker’s office would not specify what “ample time” meant. But Pelosi’s Communications Director Brendan Daly told CNSNews.com that she would provide enough time for Americans to read the final legislation before it comes up for a vote.

“The speaker is currently reading the health care draft legislation and will do the same with the final legislation before the House votes on it,” Daly told CNSNews.com. “The speaker will allow an ample amount of time for the public to read the final legislation before it is voted on.”